Scientists Investigate the Levels of Control of Stem Borer in Bt maize in Kenya
June 10, 2011| |
According to reports, stem borers (Chilo partellus) destroy about 400,000 metric tons of maize in Kenya, which is about 13.5% of the farmer's annual harvest. Farmers have used Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize to control the spread of stem borers. Mwimali Murenga of Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, crossed two Bt maize lines (Events 216 and 223) with two non-Bt maize inbred lines (CML144 and CML159) and investigated the efficacy of the parents and successive generations in controlling of stem borers.
Results showed that the Bt gene effectively lessened the damage caused by stem borers by comparing the damage in Bt lines, non-Bt maize, and controls. This was measured by number of exit holes, tunneling length, proportion of stalk tunneled number of larvae and number of pupae. The damage in the first generation of crossed lines were comparable with the Bt inbred lines. On the other hand, the following generations exhibited more damage from resistant to susceptible. This may imply that the Cry1Ab genes in the study was inherited according to Mendelian segregation.
To download a copy of the research paper, visit http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/PDF/pdf211/1JunConf/Murenga%20et%20al.pdf.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Hotter Summers Beginning in 20 Years, says Stanford Climate Scientists
- World Food Prices Set to Remain High
- Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions Supports GM Crops in Africa
- Research Partnership to Reduce Crop Loss From Striga Weed in Africa
- G8-Africa Partnership to Revitalize Agriculture
- Uganda Implements Field Trials of GM Bananas
- Farmer Networks Crucial in Adoption of New Technologies
- Scientists Shed Light on Phototrophism in Dicots
- First Company Accreditation by USDA Seed Conditioning Program
- Indonesian Government Officials and Farmers Briefed on Biotech
- ITIF Fellow Updates Indonesians on Biotech Realities in the EU
- South-South Cooperation and Biotech in Asia
- Kenyan National Biosafety Authority CEO Shares Status of the Country's Regulatory System
- Bt Eggplant Vandals in the Philippines to be Prosecuted with Malicious Mischief
- Urgent Call to G20 Global Leaders to Continue Investments in Agricultural Development
- Project to Improve Drought Tolerance of Potatoes
- Photosynthesis and Climate Change
- Experts Search for Sources of E. coli in Farms
-
Research Highlights
- Performance and Milk Composition of Cows Fed with Bollgard II Cottonseeds
- Scientists Investigate the Levels of Control of Stem Borer in Bt maize in Kenya
- Development of a Construct-specific PCR Detection Method of GM Phytase Maize Line
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Deadly Bacteria May Mimic Human Proteins to Evolve Antibiotic Resistance
- Nanoparticles in Food Crops Need to be Studied
- Biomaterial from Tamarind Seeds Aids Nerve Regeneration
-
Resources
- The Trends and Future of Biotechnology Crops for Insect Pest Control
- New Publication on Pesticides, Latest WHO Ranking, Regulation and Label Claims in India
- GM Crop Production in Canada: Agronomic, Ecological, and Environmental Considerations
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 23, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 16, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet